James & Cheri Forslund
Caring for Families Since 1982
The House that Love Built
On October 14, 1982, the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana opened on the campus of IUPUI just a short walk from the renowned Riley Children’s Hospital, the realization of efforts that had started more than five years earlier.
The concept of the Ronald McDonald House debuted in Philadelphia in the mid 1970s. Fred Hill, a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, and his wife, Fran, had been enduring the stress of watching their daughter Kimberly receive treatment for acute lymphatic leukemia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Hills, like many families before them, were spending their time camped in the hospital, sleeping in lounges or their child’s room.
The Doctor Behind RMHC
Born in York, England on March 6, 1925, Audrey Evans knew from the time she was 5 years old that she wanted to be a doctor. She even kept a small medical kit with her in case any animals needed healing. In an era when such thinking was hardly universal, Audrey was blessed with parents who believed as she has said, “girls should do as well as boys.”
Dr. Evans’ career led her to Boston Children’s Hospital, the Royal Infirmary Teaching Hospital in Edinburgh, Johns Hopkins, and eventually Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she would found the Children’s Cancer Center and eventually, with the help of McDonald’s and the Philadelphia Eagles, Ronald McDonald House.
40 From Our 40 Part 1
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charites of Central Indiana, we launched 40 From Our 40, a storytelling initiative that showcases stories, memories and moments from 40 individuals that have had an experience with RMHCCIN in the past 40 years. Welcome to interviews 1 through 20!
40 From Our 40 Part 2
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charites of Central Indiana, we launched 40 From Our 40, a storytelling initiative that showcases stories, memories and moments from 40 individuals that have had an experience with RMHCCIN in the past 40 years. Welcome to interviews 21 through 40!